An electrostatic precipitator for the removal of particles from a gas stream, i.e. for the removal of dust from a gas stream entraining same, generally comprises a housing which is traversed by the gas stream from an inlet side thereof to an outlet disposed opposite the inlet side. Within this housing, there are provided mutually spaced and parallel, generally vertical, collecting plates which may be interleaved with arrays of corona discharge electrodes spaced from these plates.
Below these collector plates there is provided a bin into which dust adhering to the collector plates is discharged when the collector plates are jolted, rapped or otherwise agitated to release the adherent dust.
The particles contained in the gas stream are electrostatically charged by the corona electrodes and are attracted to the oppositely charged collector surfaces upon which they accumulate in a layer which is dislodged by the rapping operation. The gas is thus freed from the particles and passes through the outlet in a relatively pure state.
When the collector surfaces are de-energized and/or rapped in the manner described, the dust of the collected layers breaks up into flakes and particles as it falls into the bin.
While most of the solids are thus collected in the bin which can be emptied from time to time, some of the particles are of a sufficiently small size to float freely above the bin and can be entrained by the gas stream toward the outlet. These latter particles, therefore, recontaminate the gas stream and the entrainment thereof reduces the separation efficiency of the precipitator.